Jairam Ramesh opposes proposal for cricket stadium in Kerala

Union minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh today expressed reservation on the building up of a cricket stadium at Edakochi, a mangrove-rich area near Kochi.

"All parties in Kerala stand united on the issue. But we should ask ourselves a question before demanding a stadium in such a mangrove-rich region. What is more important for us— cricket or mangroves?" Jairam asked while delivering the presidential address in the Fourth Southern Forest Ministers conference 2011 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala Cricket Association had take up the stadium project in the wake of Kochi becoming a part of IPL. However, state based environmental activites have come out against the stadium holding that it would pose threat to mangroves.

Mangroves are nature's bio-shields and southern states in the country has a large mangrove cover. "But they are dwindling in an alarming rate. Especially in the last 25-30 years," he said.

He said everyone should remember how mangroves acted as bio-shields and protected the surrounding environ during the time of tsunami which hit south India some years back.

He wanted the south Indian states to take new initiative to regenerate mangrove areas to ensure their preservation and also for the purpose of generating livelihood for the local community.